Michael Idato

LA-based Australian television executive David Hill transformed televised cricket in Australia, conquered the US sports establishment and as executive producer of American Idol took TV talent shows from small studios to outdoor arenas.

David Hill on the red carpet ready to bring the world the Oscars. Photo: Coleman-Rayner

Hill, who stepped down from his post at Fox last year after more than two decades to form his own production company, the aptly named Hilly, is hoping to re-invent the Oscars, one awful acceptance speech at a time.

"Twenty years ago, the speeches were relatively short," Hill notes. "It was, 'I'd like to thank the Academy; it was great working on this; thank you very much.' And then, apparently, an agent demanded his clients thank him and that began the thank-yous."

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Nominees have instead this year been asked to pre-submit the names of people they'd like thanked; those names will be flashed on screen in a "scroll" during their speech, should they win.

"It's an awards show – there are 24 awards and there are 24 speeches," Hill says. "The key thing was, how do you make the speeches meaningful?"

The suggestion won a positive reaction from the room, led by actor Sylvester Stallone who, as it happens, had forgotten to thank the director and producer of his film, Creed, during his speech at the Golden Globes.

"Suddenly it was a cool idea," Hill says. "Hopefully it means this will be an Oscars with great speeches," he adds.

Acknowledging this year's Oscars will come in the shadow of a larger debate over diversity and race visibility in Hollywood, Hill promises the telecast will be "the most diverse ever". "[The larger issue] is really an Academy question, but in terms of doing the show, we're determined that we were going to be the most diverse show ever in terms of who is presenting," he said.

That said, Hill's own position on the issue is not difficult to discern.

"I think the Australian way is always to take the underdog side," he says.

Hill and co-producer Reginald Hudlin have structured the telecast in the manner, roughly, that a film is made.

"It starts with script, production design, costume design, editing, camera work, audio and visual effects and then a couple of surprises," Hill says.

The telecast, which is being staged at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, will feature more than 40 presenters, including Tina Fey, Kevin Hart, Whoopi Goldberg, Jared Leto, Daisy Ridley, Charlize Theron, Sofia Vergara, Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon.

The event will be hosted by comedian Chris Rock. In keeping with Oscar tradition, the four actor statues – best actor and actress, and best supporting actor and actress – will be handed over by last year's four winners, Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Moore, J.K. Simmons and Patricia Arquette.

Among the presenters are several Australians, including Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe. Lady Gaga will also return to the Oscar stage to sing her best original song-nominated hit Til It Happens To You.

The 29-year-old singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, stunned the Oscar audience last year with a medley of songs from The Sound of Music.

"It's about putting a show together so that it moves, it's fun, it's informative and exciting," Hill says.

"Every show should have a gasp and a laugh, a cry and a sob, and hopefully we're going to provide that."

Hill left 20th Century Fox and National Geographic, where he held senior posts, last year after more than two decades; his new company, Hilly, is backed by Fox and will focus on "live TV, reality shows and digital investments".

But the broadcasting veteran says the lessons needed to produce an Oscar telecast were learned many years earlier, and more than 12,000 kilometres closer to home.

"They're lessons I learned at HSV-7 in Melbourne doing World of Sport under Ron Casey, and working for Kerry Packer doing World Series Cricket and Wide World of Sports," he says.

"The thought and planning that went into Wide World of Sports is the same thought and planning that goes into the Oscars."